The prime coastal Newport Beach property, dubbed The Landing, will include The Crow BurgerKitchen — a sister restaurant to The Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona del Mar. On Wednesday, I talked to Crow Bar owner Steve Geary, who revealed more details about Orange County’s next premium burger joint.

“We’re excited for the peninsula because I think that area is hungry for something that is a step up in quality,” said Geary, who founded the Crow Bar gastropub in 2007.

He said the eatery will offer table service and a menu of craft beer and premium burgers. The burgers will contain the same proprietary blend of meat (short rib, brisket, chuck and hangar steak) used for burgers served at the Crow Bar.

Customers can build their own burgers, or choose from house specials with preset ingredients — a similar menu set up found at 25 Degreesin Huntington Beach and The Counter in Irvine and Newport Beach.

Favorite Crow Bar hamburgers will be carried over to the Newport Beach restaurant, including the decadent Black Label burger, an 8-ounce $18 burger made with dry aged (21 days) prime rib eye and topped with bone marrow butter & caramelized onions on a potato bun.

“It’s the best hamburger you’ll ever have,” Geary said.

Since the restaurant is not expected to open until late spring 2011, Geary said the menu has not been finalized. But, diners can have a say in the menu if they head over to the Crow Bar on Sunday nights.

Over the next few months, the gastropub will “test” various burger recipes on the menu to see which ones diners love the most. The most popular ones ordered on Sunday nights will likely land in the Crow burger menu, Geary said.

The Counter burger

As the burger wars heat up in Southern California, Geary thinks his concept will offer consumers the right burger at the right price. Most gourmet burger restaurants sell their patties for $9 to $12. Crow Burger Kitchen will keep its prices at $4 to $8.

“I think as economic conditions play out, our price point is in the wheelhouse” of what people are willing to pay, he said.

Even though consumers are dining out less due to the recession, most are willing to pay more for a specialty burger, according to Technomic, a Chicago-based food consulting and market research firm.

The Landing undergoes big remodel. KFC and Carl's Jr. have closed to make room for higher quality restaurants.

“American consumers take their burgers seriously,” said Technomic executive Darren Tristano. “It may be one area of food service where (diners) are less willing to cut back, despite the current economic environment. They expect to pay more for a higher quality, better burger, and are willing to do so because the value proposition is heightened.”

The Landing retail center is at the corner of 32nd Street and Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach. It is expected to reopen by summer 2011. Besides the Crow Burger, other new tenants will include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Vons Pavilion and Gina’s Pizza.

Tell us: Are you ready for another gourmet burger concept in Orange County? Let us know if you’ve tried the Crow Bar burgers.

Join the conversation: Follow the Fast Food Maven on Twitter and Facebook for real-time information on local food news, trends and deals.

Nancy Luna is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. She's been the Register's restaurant beat writer since 2005, covering some of the biggest players in the industry: In-N-Out, Chipotle, McDonald’s and Taco Bell. Luna also covers dining trends from food halls to food trucks. She writes with authority and is considered an expert in her field.

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